In an unfortunate incident, Leonardo da Vinci’s renowned masterpiece “Mona Lisa” was targeted by two protestors at the esteemed Louvre Museum in Paris, France, on Sunday. The protestors chose an unusual tactic, hurling canned soup onto the priceless painting in an act that shocked museum-goers.

In a viral video, two women are seen hurling what appeared to be red tomato soup at the renowned painting. Defying the wooden barrier meant to safeguard the artwork from the public, they proceeded to cross it.

Amidst the gathering, a woman disrobes, unveiling a T-shirt bearing the message “Riposte Alimentaire.” This phrase symbolizes a collective response to food sustainability issues, originating from an activist group in France.

Another woman joins in, addressing the crowd with a resounding question: “What holds greater significance: art or healthy, sustainable food? Our farming system is in dire need of attention, and our farmers are facing life-threatening situations while working.

The Louvre employees could then be seen putting black panels in front of the Mona Lisa and asking visitors to evacuate the room.

The Mona Lisa, which is located in the Salle des Etats (Room of the States), is protected behind a glass panel.

The 16th-century painting by Italian artist Leonardo da Vinci was therefore fortunately not damaged.

On its website, the “Food Riposte” group said the French government is breaking its climate commitments and called for the equivalent of France’s state-sponsored healthcare system to be put in place to give people better access to healthy food while providing farmers with a decent income, reported Al Jazeera.